Dispenser carton



INVENTOR: WILLIAM 12.. DAVIS ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1963 w. R. DAVIS DISPENSER CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16. 1961 ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1963 w. R. DAVIS DISPENSER CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 16, 1961 INVENTOR: WlLuAM 12. bAvls ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,114,474 DESPENSER CARTON Wiiliam R. Davis, Lawrenceville, Ga., assignor to S'onoco Froducts Company, Hartsville, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Feb. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 89,699 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-92) This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a paper carton for dispensing bulbous articles such as photographic ashbulbs and the like.

1iackages available today for photographic lamp devices commonly referred to as flashbulbs are arranged to contain a plurality of such flashbulbs packaged in a neat, compact manner. Such packages permit the photographer to conveniently carry a considerable supply of replacement bulbs on his person. During the taking of photographs using flashbulbs, it is frequently desirable to take a number of pictures in sequence which requires the use of a correspondin g number of ashbulbs. The use of such packages permits the photographer to have bulbs readily available for the continuous taking of photographs without interruption.

Although the ilashbulb packages or cartons on the market today generally provide an acceptable packaging arrangement for a plurality of these bulbs, they have been characterized in general by a failure to provide a convenient arrangement whereby the photographer can quickly and easily obtain fresh flashbulbs as they are needed. It is generally necessary for the photographer to open the package, extract a ashbulb, and close the package each time a bulb is needed. This operation is not only time consuming, but generally requires the use of both hands by the photographer. The many items of photographic equipment carried by the photographer do not not often leave both of his hands free, particularly, as is so often the case, if the photographer does not wish to put down the camera.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a new and novel carton for dispensing bulbous articles such as ashbulbs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel carton for ashbulbs which permits the bulbs to be removed from the carton one at a time in a simple and easy manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and novel carton for ilashbulbs or the like which presents successive bulbs in such a position that they can be manually extracted from the carton as bulbs are removed therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel carton for dispensing bulbous articles such as flashbulbs which can be readily divided into two packages each containing an equal number of flashbulbs arranged to dispense the bulbs contained in each or which can be used as a single carton for dispensing all of the flashbulbs contained therein.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a one-piece blank of paper or the like foldable into a carton for dispensing bulbous articles such as llashbulbs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The objects stated above and other related objects in this invention are accomplished by providing an elongated tubular body which is generally rectangular in cross Section, having a pair of side walls and a top and bottom wall, together with end flaps for closing its ends. The tubular body is formed from a single blank of material such as cardboard or the like and is provided with a partition which divides the body into a pair of longitu- 3,114,474 Patented Dec. 17, 1963 dinally extending compartments for bulbous articles such as ashbulbs. Flap members are formed in the body on each side and extend within each of the compartments centrally between the partition and the side walls to form an opening for the compartments on each side of the body and divide each compartment into a pair of cells.

.The body is weakened transversely by perforations or the like intermediate its ends and these perforations extend through the tlap members so that the body can be divided into two similar sections each containing a pair of parallel cells open at one end. The portions of the flap members in each open end normally retain the flashbulbs in the cells while providing ready access thereto and move yieldingly to permit the ashbulbs to be pulled one at a time from the cells.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristie of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with this accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View of a blank from which the carton of the invention is constructed;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled carton using the blank of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a completely assembled empty carton using the blank of FIGURE l with the ends open;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the carton of the invention filled with flashbulbs and with the ends closed;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the filled carton of FIGURE 4 shown divided into two separate substantially identical sections;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG- URE 4 folded back on itself to permit its use as a dispenser;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6 in the direction of the arrows; and,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of the carton of FIG- URE 4 illustrating the manner of forming the folded carton of FIGURES 6, 7.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a blank designated generally by the numeral 11 formed of sheet material such as cardboard or the like from which the carton of the invention is constructed. The blank 11 has been cut, as shown, in one piece and includes the main panels 12, 13 of substantially identical shape which form the top and bottom walls of the carton, respectively. Side panels 16, 17 are also provided which are connected by means of fold lines 18, 19 to the main panel 13 and side panel 17 is connected by means of fold line 21 to the main panel 12. The side panels 16, 17 are of substantially the same shape.

An extension panel 22 is connected by means of fold line 23 to the side panel 16 at one side and at its other side to a partition panel 24 by means of a fold line 26. A glue tab 27 is hingedly connected by means of a fold line 2S to the side of panel 24 opposite from the fold line 26.

End aps 31, 32 are connected by means of transversely extending fold lines 33, 34 to opposite ends of the side panel 16 and end flaps 36, 37 are similarly connected by transversely extending fold lines 38, 39 to opposite ends of side panel 17. End panels 41, 42 are connected by means of fold lines 43, 44, respectively, to

' opposite ends of main panel 12;. End panel 41 has a tuckin flap 46 connected thereto by means of fold line 47 and end panel 42 is similarly provided with a tuck-in flap 48 connected thereto by means of fold line 49.

Pairs of spaced, transversely extending parallel cut lines 51, 52 and 53, 54 arc located in each of the side panels 16, 17 and are of such a length as to extend for a limited distance as shown into the adjacent main panels 13, 12 to provide partially severed body portions or flap members 56, 57, respectively. Thus, ap member 56 is connected at its ends to the blank 11 by means of fold lines 23 and 58. The Hap member 56 is also provided with a fold line 59 as shown intermediate its ends which defines flap member portions 56a, 5617.

Flap member 57 is similarly connected to the blank 11 by means of fold lines 19 and 61 and contains fold line 62 located similarly to the fold line 59 of iiap member 56. Fold line 62 divides flap member 57 into portions 7a, 57h.

Means are provided for dividing the blank which, in the embodiment illustrated, includes a weakened line or line of perforations 63 which extends transversely on the blank 11. The line of perforations 63 divides the blank into two substantially identical sections and extends centrally through the flap members 56, 57 as shown.

In the construction of the carton of the invention which is designated generally by the letter C in FIGURE 4, the end of the blank 11 having the glue tab 27 is folded over the blank as shown in FIGURE 2 and the glue tab adhesively secured to the main panel 13 as shown to form a longitudinally extending compartment designated generally by the numeral 66. The blank is folded during this step along fold lines 2S, 26, 23 and 13.

The flap member S6 is then folded inwardly of the compartment 66 by folding along fold lines 23, 59 and 5S and ap member portion 56a is secured adhesively to the inner surface of the extension panel 22 as shown. Thus, the flap member portion 56]) extends centrally within the compartment 66 in substantially parallel relationship with the partition 24 and side wall 16. The compartment 66 is therefore divided into two substantially identical cells 66a, 66h having openings 67, 66, respectively.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, the blank 11 is further folded by folding along fold lines 19, 21 to position the main panel 12 over the extension panel 22 as shown to which it is adhesively secured to form a longitudinally extending compartment 69 parallel to compartment 66.

In a manner similar to that described above with rcspect to flap member 56, flap member 57 is folded along fold lines 19, 62 and 61 inwardly of compartment 6? and the flap member portion 57a secured as shown to the main panel 13. This folding of ap member 57 divides compartment 69 into two substantially identical cells 69a, 6911 having openings 71, 72, respectively. It will be noted that the weakened line 63 extends completely around the center of the carton C bisecting the ap member portions 5617, 5711.

The ends of carton C thus remain open to receive bulbous articles such as ilashbulbs F and in the illustrated embodiment, each of the compartments 66a, 66b, 69a and 6911 are lled with three of such fiashbulbs F with the neck of the bulb adjacent the compartment opening projecting therethrough to permit it to be easily grasped by the photographer.

The ends of the carton 54 may now be closed by folding in end flaps 31, 32, 36 and 37 over which are folded end panels 41, 42 and flaps 46, 48 tucked appropriately within the carton ends as shown in FIGURE 4.

The filled carton C of FIGURE 4 is therefore arranged for merchandising in the well-known manner and may be carried about during the taking of photographs by the purchaser so as to be available at the time of use. However, if desired, the carton C of FIGURE 4 may be broken apart as shown in FIGURE 5 into two separate substantially identical sections C', C when purchased or by the purchaser at the time of use. This breaking apart of the carton C is accomplished by merely tearing the carton along the weakened line 63 so that the two sections separate, each containing a pair of parallel cells with a supply of bulbs F in each cell. It will be noted that in each of these cells, and attention is directed in particular to section C in FIGURE 5, the openings 67, 71 of the cells 66a and 69a, are bisected by portions of the iiap member portions 56h, 5711, respectively, which normally prevent the bulbs F from falling out of the cell openings. However, when a bulb is needed, the photographer need only grasp a projecting bulb neck and the iiap member portion adjacent thereto moves yieldingly to permit the enlarged bulb to be withdrawn, The flap member portion then moves back into its normal position after the bulb is withdrawn to prevent the bulb behind from falling out. Thus, the bulbs may be withdrawn from the cells by a simple one-handed action without the need for opening and closing the carton section each time and another bulb can be moved up under the action of gravity to occupy the same place as the previously extracted bulb so that a bulb is always available to the photographer until the carton section is empty.

if it is desired to utilize the carton C as a twelve bulb dispenser rather than two six bulb dispensers, the carton is broken along the weakened line 63 across the top wall as dened by main panel 12 and along the ap member portions 56h, 57h. This arrangement is shown clearly in FIGURES 6-8 wherein the two sections C', C" of the carton C are folded along the unbroken portion of the weakened line 63 and pivoted in the manner of FIGURE 8 until the sections are positioned in a vertically stacked overlying relationship.

In order to hold the sections C', C in the position of FIGURE 6, one of the end flaps 46, 48 is removed from its section and inserted into the other overlying section together with the end flap of the other section. Thus, this arrangement presents all four cell openings 67, 63, 71 and '72 in an accessible position to the photographer and the bulbs can be easily extracted as explained above from any of the four cells.

With the novel construction of this invention, there has been provided a novel carton for bulbous articles such as llashbulbs which permit these bulbs to be packaged in a neat, compact arrangement in a carton which can be conveniently carried by a photographer and at the same time permits the photographer to extract bulbs trom the carton using only one hand if desired. The carton of the invention presents the bulb necks in a projecting manner so that they may be easily grasped by the photographer and upon withdrawal of a bulb another bulb falls into place without any action on the part of the photographer. Among the outstanding features of the carton of the invention, is the single blank from which the carton is formed. This blank may be readily cut appropriately and folded into the carton and filled with bulbs for merchandising. Furthermore, the novel construction of the carton permits it to be divided into two substantially identical sections so that only one-half of the original carton need be purchased or need be carried by the photographer. The same construction which permits the carton to be divided permits the carton to bc folded at the time of use from the original packaged form into a form more suitable for use and ready extraction of the bulbs.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is the aim of the appended claim to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A dispensing carton comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced apart parallel side walls and spaced apart parallel top and bottom walls connected together to form a body having open ends, end flaps connected to said body for closing said body open ends, a partition panel connected to said body extending longitudinally between the ends of said body in centrally spaced parallel relationship with said side Walls and dening therewith a pair of loneitudinally extending compartments, an inwardly folded ap on each side of said body centrally positioned intermediate said body ends for dividing each of said compartments into two longitudinally aligned article receiving cells having opposed open ends, each of said laps formed from a portion of the corresponding side Wall and a portion of one of said top and bottom walls and having a portion positioned in spaced apart parallel relationship with said partition panel and the corressondside Wall centrally across said opposed open ends and a weakened line extending transversely of and completely round said body centrally through said walls, panel, and inwardly folded aps for separatingvsaid body into two 6 double cell sections `l1. lmviog open ends with separated article retaining flap portions in each of said open ends, each flap member portion being arranged to normally retain articles in its compartment and being yieldabe to permit articles to be pulled one at a time from its compartment so that the flap member portion fiexes back to its normal article retaining position after the dispensed article has been pulled past the flap portion.

References Citez. in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENS 

